The map shows quakes of M1.5 and up from the last 90 days, the 4 biggest on record, and always the very latest quake — even if it was smaller than M1.5. The list below can include smaller ones the map leaves out. Tap any dot for details.
In the last 30 days, 0 earthquakes of M1.5 or bigger were recorded within 100 km of Jefferson. The biggest quake on record near Jefferson — records go back to 1980 — was the M5.1 of Aug 09, 2020, 12:07 UTC: 4 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina.
Latest earthquakes near Jefferson
| Mag | Location | Local time | Depth | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1.9 | 3 km WNW of Thurmond, North Carolina | Jul 04, 2026, 07:16 PM | 5 km | 46 km E |
| M2.2 | 9 km ESE of Independence, Virginia | Feb 22, 2026, 07:45 PM | 8 km | 41 km ENE |
| M2.2 | 7 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina | Feb 13, 2026, 12:15 PM | 0 km | 35 km E |
| M1.7 | 6 km WSW of Newland, North Carolina | Jan 03, 2026, 01:06 AM | 2 km | 61 km SW |
| M2.1 | 4 km WSW of Lowgap, North Carolina | Nov 30, 2025, 07:11 AM | 6 km | 51 km E |
| M2.2 | 16 km E of Jefferson, North Carolina | Nov 08, 2025, 01:25 PM | 5 km | 17 km E |
| M5.1 | 4 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina | Aug 09, 2020, 08:07 AM | 4 km | 35 km E |
| M4.3 | 13 km NW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 23, 2006, 05:42 AM | 0 km | 93 km NNW |
| M4.3 | 13 km NNW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 02, 2006, 12:53 PM | 1 km | 95 km NNW |
| M4.3 | 11 km SSE of Vansant, Virginia | Apr 10, 1989, 02:12 PM | 0 km | 96 km NNW |
Earthquakes per year near Jefferson (M3.0 and up, within 100 km)
M3.0–3.9 M4.0+
Each bar is one year; taller means more quakes (M3.0 and up). The dark red part is the bigger ones (M4.0+), counted inside the number above each bar — not added on top. These may be felt, depending on how far away and how deep they are. 2026 is not a full year yet — it only counts up to today. Source: USGS Earthquake Catalog.
What the last year looked like near Jefferson
Every quake of M1.5 or bigger within 100 km over the last year — 6 in total. A quake of exactly M2.0 counts in the M2.0–3.0 group.
The 4 biggest earthquakes on record near Jefferson (M4.0 and up, since 1980)
| Mag | Location | Date (UTC) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| M5.1 | 4 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina | Aug 09, 2020, 12:07 UTC | 35 km |
| M4.3 | 13 km NW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 23, 2006, 10:42 UTC | 93 km |
| M4.3 | 13 km NNW of Raven, Virginia | Nov 02, 2006, 17:53 UTC | 95 km |
| M4.3 | 11 km SSE of Vansant, Virginia | Apr 10, 1989, 18:12 UTC | 96 km |
Nearby places
West Jefferson, NC (3 km) · Boone, NC (29 km) · Mountain City, TN (30 km) · Marion, VA (46 km) · North Wilkesboro, NC (41 km) · Wilkesboro, NC (41 km)
USGS data fetched Nov 03, 2026, 15:45 UTC · page built Nov 03, 2026, 16:01 UTC. How to read this page: recent-window counts cover M1.5+ events within 100 km; the 10-year layer is based on M3.0+ and the history layer on M4.0+ since 1980. Recording completeness varies by era and region — small quakes from early decades are under-recorded, so “no record” does not prove “never happened”. Depths are relative to sea level and can be slightly negative for shallow events in elevated terrain. Method: data & methodology.